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For families, by families, with families

Since 1976, the Carole Robertson Center for Learning has been dedicated to educating, enriching, and empowering children and families through comprehensive child and family development programs.

WHAT’S NEW AT THE CENTER?

HONORING LEGACY WEEK 2024

Legacy Week is a time for us to reflect on the rich history and powerful legacy of Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair—the four young girls who tragically lost their lives in the 1963 bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church.

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CAROLE ROBERTSON CENTER FEATURED IN FORBES, FORTUNE, AND ENTREPRENEUR

At the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, we advance social justice by engaging families and providing high-quality learning opportunities in historically disinvested communities. Recently, the Center’s vital work was featured in Forbes, Fortune, and Entrepreneur magazines.

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WE'RE HIRING

We are now hiring teachers, teacher aides, assistants, and associate teachers, and more! Learn how you can begin your career journey in education with us.

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IN THE NEWS: GOVERNOR PRITZKER SIGNS SB1

The Carole Robertson Center for Learning celebrates the landmark signing of Senate Bill 1 (SB1), which authorizes the Department of Early Childhood Act. This transformative legislation consolidates early childhood services under one unified state agency and heralds a new era of investment in Illinois’ youngest learners.

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OUR MISSION

To educate, enrich and empower children and their families.

 

OUR VISION

To help build a just and equitable society, the Carole Robertson Center for Learning, in partnership with families, will be a beacon of best practices, innovation, and impact in early childhood and youth development.

What We Do

High quality education for children and youth

Sustainable learning is about more than grades. It’s about building habits in class, in homes, and in the community. It’s about learning the thrill of learning. It’s about building the skills of skill-building. It’s about getting our students the opportunities they deserve. This isn’t just for today. It’s for tomorrow. Sustainable learning develops skills that carry through generation after generation.

How we empower generations

Early Care & Education For School Readiness

Success in the classroom generates success throughout life. We prepare all of our children up to age five for kindergarten and beyond.

Youth Development & Leadership

Delivering youth programs that empower the leaders of tomorrow through social-emotional learning and effective afterschool activities.

Supporting Child Care

Child care is a human right, and vital to the economic success and well-being of our community and future generations.

 

Advocacy Research & Publication

Developing leaders today to create a better world tomorrow with our community-based advocacy and partnerships.

Early Care and Education

We provide directly operated Early Care and Education (ECE) programs for children 0-5 years of age. As a trusted, high quality, and innovative early care and education organization, the Carole Robertson Center works in partnership with families, to be a beacon of best practices, innovation, and impact in early childhood education.

We offer a myriad of early care and education programs and services in order to serve the needs and realities of our communities while also placing parental choice at the forefront.

Visit our programs page to learn more

Youth Development

Since 1976 we’ve recognized and proven that the best way to support social-emotional learning and positive identity development is through engaging, stimulating, and hands-on learning. We create experiences that infuse youth voice and choice and are grounded in research and best practices. Our year-round programs serving children ages 5-17 build on the vision of creating a just and equitable society through exploring democracy, activism, and the broader world and engaging in STEAM through a highly qualified, culturally-competent, energetic and passionate staff.

4 boys with orange summer camp shirts with arms around each other

After-School Programs

High quality academic support and enrichment activities during the school year at the following locations:

  • Little Village (2929 W. 19th St.)
  • North Lawndale (3701 W. Ogden Ave.)
  • Albany Park (5101 N. Kimball Ave.)
  • Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy (for students enrolled there)
  • KIPP Ascend Primary North Lawndale (for students enrolled there)

Summer Day Camp

Social-emotional learning, problem-solving skills, team-building through fun and engaging activities and experiences during school closures at the following locations:

  • Little Village (2929 W. 19th St.)
  • North Lawndale (3701 W. Ogden Ave.)
  • Albany Park (5101 N. Kimball Ave.)

 

 

Our Service Models

 

 

The Carole Robertson Center for Learning provides Chicago children and families with a broad range of Early Care and Youth Development options. We are deeply committed to ensuring that every young child (0-5) is served through high quality early care, afterschool enrichment and family support services. We have deep partnerships with small, independent Early Childhood Education (ECE) providers across Chicago, supporting them through funding, training, and back-office support to ensure they are delivering impactful programs within their communities.

Flagship sites

The beacons of high-quality education, learning and development for children and families in North Lawndale, Little Village and Albany Park.

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Micro-Centers

We partner with local elementary schools like Legacy Charter School, KIPP Ascend Primary, and Maria Saucedo to provide conveninet preschool options to families at their schools.

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home visiting

Home Visitation is a model of early learning that serves families in their own homes. Home visitors model engaging and educational activities and empower parents and caregivers to be their child’s first teacher.

Family Child care

Community-Based Networks are composed of partner sites that provide home-based or center-based childcare. These homebased programs are often called “Family Child Care.”

center-based partners

These partner programs are independently operated, but receive support, technical assistance, training, and monitoring services as members of the Carole Robertson Center “Network.”

An Honor & Responsibility

Fighting for Social Justice & Equity.

Our Center works to honor the life and memory of Carole Robertson who, together with her classmates, Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, and Denise McNair, was killed in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. That horrible act of injustice is emblematic of lives robbed of their full potential. With the community we strive to help children build full, free lives. Lives that reject hate, and rise up. We achieve this through comprehensive early childhood education, youth development and family support services.

Carole Robertson
Carole Robertson
Addie Mae Collins
Addie Mae Collins
Cynthia Wesley
Cynthia Wesley
Denise McNair
Denise McNair

This is how we drive Social Justice & Equity at our centers.

Build the Skills and Expertise of Our Staff
Strengthen Relationships and Engagement With Families
Employ Data and Best Practices For Continuous Improvement
Ensure Children Get and Stay On Track for School Success
Increase Engagement With High-Quality Partners
Train the Community

Support Our Mission

We rely on our volunteers and supporters to execute our mission and vision for tomorrow.

Get Involved

Give

Direct donations and material goods give us the power to expand educational opportunities for all.

Volunteer

Individual, group, and corporate volunteer opportunities are short or long term ways to be involved in the community (TBD during COVID-19)

Attend Events

Our events promote awareness, fundraising, and serve as a focal point for members to understand our mission (TBD during COVID-19)

Since 1976, the Carole Robertson Center for Learning has been dedicated to educating, enriching, and empowering children and families through comprehensive child and family development programs.